


Rule 23

by neverwinter (KingPreussen)



Series: Rules for Angus [2]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Babies, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Families of Choice, Family Dynamics, Fluff, Gen, Misunderstandings, The Hogsbottom Debacle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-21
Updated: 2017-11-21
Packaged: 2019-02-05 06:26:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12788742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KingPreussen/pseuds/neverwinter
Summary: Killian laughed and there was the sound of her opening Carey's pack again. "What an asshole," she said, almost to herself."No, it's okay, Miss Killian." Angus let Nicole pull his glasses off his face, but took them back before she could put them in her mouth. "He's always like that."---The Hogsbottom Debacle was much less a debacle and more a typical day, from Angus' point of view.





	Rule 23

**Author's Note:**

> i only made a series to more obviously connect the two fics, but i doubt im going to write the reasoning for _every_ rule... if anyone is interested, i might write rule 23 from taakos point of view (and why the rest of the bureau refers to this day as a debacle)
> 
> really, i wanted to write some scales. i havent found hathaways voice yet so i didnt write her in, but maybe next time
> 
> i hope you like this!

"She's adorable, isn't she!" Scales beamed at Killian and Angus, holding his daughter somehow both delicately and excitedly while his wife Hathaway shook her head indulgently from the other room. She insisted on making lunch for all of them and Carey joined her, despite her inexperience in the kitchen.

Angus knew Carey didn't get to spend much time with her sister-in-law or her younger brother and, while she kept emotions like that close to the heart, it didn't take the greatest detective to see how relaxed she was in Hogsbottom. The two of them moved around the kitchen like they'd been cooking together for years.

"Very adorable," Killian agreed with a smile and a nod. Killian wasn't the most maternal woman, but she seemed more receptive to the baby's charms due to Scales' happiness. Angus himself spent most of the visit sitting at the other end of the table from the rest, nervous about being around someone so small and fragile. He was half convinced even the wrong look at Nicole would set her to crying.

Scales was either oblivious to or ignoring Angus' nerves. "You didn't get to hold her, kid! You're practically her cousin!"

Angus ducked his head. Sure, he thought of everyone at the Bureau as his family in the privacy of his own head, but he didn't _really_ have a family. His parents were long gone, grandfather dead; if he didn't already have a job up on the false moon he'd probably be living on the streets, or in an orphanage.

A chair scraped gently across the floor beside him, and then Scales had an arm around his shoulders, still holding his daughter in his other arm. "It's alright, Angus. Here, I'll help you." He started to deposit the little girl into Angus' hold while he internally panicked.

"Say hi, Nicole," Scales murmured. Then he lifted the baby's hand with two fingers and waved it, putting on a higher voice to say, "Hi, Angus!"

Nicole smiled her little toothless smile up at Angus and it was all he could do to smile back. "Hi Nicole," he said to her.

A spot in the pocket of Carey's pack, slung over the back of a kitchen chair, began to glow brightly through the leather. Before Angus could say anything, Killian had opened it and was fishing in the pocket for the item.

She pulled out a Stone of Far Speech and took the call. "'Lo? Killian here."

" _Where's Angus?_ "

Angus froze. He was sure it was Taako's voice coming down the line, although he'd never heard the Wizard sound so serious before. Taako had never expressed any parental feelings for Angus, or attempted to be any kind of father-figure, but Angus was still half convinced he was in major trouble.

"With me," was all Killian said, as if it were self explanatory.

" _Oh, thank fuck,_ " Taako said. Killian closed her hand over the Stone, but not fast enough.

Scales just laughed at her guilty expression. "Nic doesn't even know what he said, its no big deal." He didn't move to take Nicole from Angus, still gently playing with her hand and helping Angus properly support her neck.

Killian opened her hand again and leaned back in her chair. "Why?" she asked, almost sarcastically. "Did you need him for something?"

" _The little shit's always under my feet, and then he fucking disappeared today._ " Angus felt a sharp lance of embarrassment in his chest at both Scales and Killian hearing that. He didn't think he was bothering Taako so much. Apparently he was annoyed by Angus' presence enough to complain to other people about him.

Angus could feel Killian's eyes on him as she spoke. He didn't look up at her. "Yeah, well, he's fine, Taako," Killian said.

Taako sighed, the sound muffled by distance. " _Of course he is. He's a good kid._ " Angus' self-conscious blush only heated further at the surprising compliment. After a pause, Taako continued, " _Tell him I want to see him when y'all come back. I miss the little rug-rat_." He rang off without waiting for a reply. 

Killian laughed and there was the sound of her opening the buckles on Carey's pack again. "What an asshole," she said, almost to herself.

"No, it's okay, Miss Killian." Angus let Nicole pull his glasses off his face, but took them back before she could put them in her mouth, nervous about how dirty they were. "He's always like that."

Scales distracted Nicole with a different toy so she didn't get upset over Angus' refusal to let her drool on his glasses. "Doesn't mean he's not an asshole." Angus looked over at him curiously. Scales seemed genuinely annoyed, but he simply gently squeezed Angus' shoulders when their eyes met. "You do seem like a very good kid, Angus, an excellent kid. He shouldn't say stuff like that about you."

Angus wasn't sure if he could explain his and Taako's dynamic well enough to mollify Scales, so he didn't try. "Thanks, Mister Scales, but I'm really okay. I know he doesn't mean it." He was fine saying that out loud--whether or not he believed it was a different story. From the expression on Scales' face, he knew exactly what Angus was thinking, but he didn't push.

"You should come over more often, Angus," he said instead. "Nicole already loves you. Me 'n' Hathaway have a spare room, we'll set it up for you. Whenever you need a break."

"Thank you, sir," Angus said, blinking back grateful tears. He leaned closer to Scales and got a hug for his efforts, Nicole giggling between them.

**Author's Note:**

> easter eggs: baby fangbattle is named nicole in my head, because elliott (and the rest of the flop house) loves nic cage. i havent listened to the crossover episodes in a while so i dont know if scales really has a baby and if so, what their name really is T__T


End file.
